Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

Discovering the secret of a Man's Soul...

I read that and thought, "WOW! Finally someone who can explain why men think and do the things they do." Since I am a member of Book Sneeze at Thomas Nelson, I thought I'd see what this was all about.

John Eldredge wrote this book about ten years ago, and he has now updated it for today's man (and woman). I discovered that men today need permission to really be men. I heartily agree with that statement. Feminists have de-genderized society to the point that I'm not sure who is who anymore.

I have observed within my own experience the three things a man must have in order not to lose his being: 1. Battle to fight, 2. an Adventure to live, and 3. a Beauty of rescue. Each of these three things work together to make up a man's character. One can see perfectly what kind of man a man is when you study the fights he chooses, the adventures he takes, and the kind of Beauty that he links arms with through life.

There was something so satisfying about this book, simply because my 50+ years of observations rang true to what Eldredge was saying. He also does an excellent job in correlating Manly Jesus to manly things, all the while leaving room for tenderness with the Beauty and the Children as he succinctly states, "And all his wildness and all his fierceness are inseparable from his romantic heart...music, wine, poetry, sunsets, those were His inventions, not ours. We simply discovered what He had already thought of."

Its enough to make a maidenly heart flutter. And enough to give men permission to be all they can be, and still be lovely and comely in God's eyes as well as woman's. This is a keeper. Buy it, and give it to your son or husband or nephew or son-in-law. They will appreciate it and so will their wives.

The Sword by Bryan Litfin

This novel was an interesting foray into the What If world. What if all except a few in the world were annihilated? What if those who survived didn't know much if anything about God? What if a demon of incredible power suffused... no, wait, that isn't right. What if an evil person who knew about God was influenced by Satan to suppress everything having to do with the one true God? But then one young man who happened to be a professor at a college found out about God. What a great concept!

In fact you will find two such books on Christian Book Stores shelves with this premise. Neither relate to the other and the story lines actually are a lot different.

In The Sword, you have all the elements of adventure and intrigue almost from the first page. The protag, Teofil, is rather two dimensional at first because we just don't know what he looks like, we don't know his name, but boy we've got an excellent man and bear fight over the fresh wild boar kill. The man was salivating over roasted pork ribs. The day is saved by a slip of a girl/woman who fires an arrow into the bear's chest.  I'm thinking this is going to be a most satisfying read. But, I'm only on page 29.

The characters are numerous, so much so, that if you don't read straight through you are likely to forget who is who. I am not saying this is a bad thing. Any reader knows that when a character is given a name, then you will meet that character again, so you try hard to remember who is who. Because this is a trilogy (book 1) I realize there will be a lot of characters, and it could be because I'm getting old, for me it was hard to keep track of them all.

The story takes place on earth 400 years after the catastrophe. There should be some things that are the same, but everything--building, landmarks, everything--was overgrown or completely gone, so there wasn't any geographic connection. I couldn't envision where this took place. Again, I'm not saying that it is a bad thing, it was just a little disconcerting for me because I knew it was earth, but nothing recognizable not even places. I know there is an analogy in some of the names, but I didn't catch them... like the place called Toon. My first thought was, "Wonder if we'll meet Daffy?" Call me sacrilegious.

For me, the story was good. I love good vs evil stories. I love it when the heroine isn't this weak-kneed, screamer. I love it when she's fiery and womanly. It is very hard to write, but Litfin captured this very well. There was nothing cartoonish about our Ana. I also love it when the rogues are truly, thickly evil.

I do recommend this first novel by Bryan Litfin. I warn you, if you'll be up late at night. Once you get all the characters straight, it is a delicious read.

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


The SwordCrossway Books (April 30, 2010)by


Bryan M. Litfin

ABOUT THE BOOK

This novel of page-turning action and adventure poses the question, "If a society had no knowledge of Christianity, and then a Bible were discovered, what would happen?"

Four hundred years after a deadly virus and nuclear war destroyed the modern world, a new and noble civilization emerges. In this kingdom, called Chiveis, snowcapped mountains provide protection, and fields and livestock provide food. The people live medieval-style lives, with almost no knowledge of the "ancient" world. Safe in their natural stronghold, the Chiveisi have everything they need, even their own religion. Christianity has been forgotten—until a young army scout comes across a strange book.

With that discovery, this work of speculative fiction takes readers on a journey that encompasses adventure, romance, and the revelation of the one true God. Through compelling narrative and powerful character development, The Sword speaks to God's goodness, his refusal to tolerate sin, man's need to bow before him, and the eternality and power of his Word. Fantasy and adventure readers will be hooked by this first book in a forthcoming trilogy.

Visit the book website at The Sword to see amazing videos and a wealth of information about the trilogy!

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sword, go to HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bryan Litfin was born in Dallas, but lived in Memphis, Tennessee and Oxford, England, where he discovered that the house of his favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien, was only five doors down from his own. Bryan still enjoys epic adventure stories, as well as historical fiction. However, most of his reading these days is taken up by academia.

After marrying his high school sweetheart, Carolyn (a true Southern belle), he went on to study for a master’s degree in historical theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. From there he went to the University of Virginia, taking a PhD in the field of ancient church history. He is the author of Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction (Brazos, 2007), as well as several scholarly articles and essays.

In 2002, Bryan took a position on the faculty at Moody Bible Institute in downtown Chicago, where he is a professor in the Theology Department. He teaches courses in theology, church history, and Western civilization from the ancient and medieval periods.

On the morning of January 6, 2007, Bryan woke up with an epiphany. Having finished writing his primer on the ancient church, he had the idea of trying his hand at fiction. The thought occurred to him that the writer of speculative fiction typically has two options. He can create an imaginary land like Middle Earth (which offers great creative freedom but is unrealistic), or he can delve into genuine history (which is realistic, yet limted to what ‘actually occurred.’) However, if a writer were to create a future world as in the Chiveis trilogy, it could be both realistic and creatively unlimited.

This little dream stayed in Bryan’s mind while he researched how to write fiction, and also researched the European landscape where the novel would be set. He planned a trip to the story locations, then went there in the summer with a buddy from grad school. Bryan and Jeff rented a Beemer and drove all over Europe from the Alps to the Black Forest with a video camera in hand. With that epic setting fresh in his mind, Bryan returned home and began to write.

Today Bryan lives in downtown Wheaton in a Victorian house built in 1887. He is blessed by God to be married to Carolyn, and to be the father of two amazing children, William, 11, and Anna, 9. For recreation Bryan enjoys basketball, traveling, and hiking anywhere there are mountains (which means getting far away from the Midwest – preferably to his beloved Smokies).

3-3-3 You Are Free by James Bars

This is a message so very simple, and yet so many people fear it, and think it is the hardest thing in the world to do--Live Free.

God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7. This is one of my all time favorite verses. I was delighted to see it quoted in the Hidden Chapter. I believe the principles laid out in this book are so very simple to understand, not very hard to follow, and so very easy if we rely upon the Power of God to live free. That is the message in a nutshell. Who needs it? Everyone does, not just Christians. It is a bit elementary if one has been a Christian since 1902, but, then what person doesn't need a gentle reminder every now and again of how much God loves us?

There is an old saying that practice makes perfect. Well, the godly definition of perfect is Complete. Jesus makes us whole and complete. This book is chock full of guidelines on how to allow Jesus to reign in your life. Every Christian needs that! What's truly great about this book is that you can give it to every lost person you love and just maybe you'll be taking them along with you when we meet Jesus in the air.

I recommend this book for anyone. It isn't a fluffy afternoon read, you'll need to dig into it, but that is part of the journey in building your relationship with our LORD.

Blake Bars has this to say...

When it comes to screwing up one’s life, my Dad, Jim Bars, is pretty much an expert.  As his son, I didn’t know him as the mess he had been.  All I knew was what I heard from stories and there were a lot of them.  Throughout my youth I saw that God was important to him; I knew he went to AA meetings a lot and was involved in prison ministries. 

 I knew he wasn’t perfect, but I saw that he continuously strived to improve himself.  The Japanese call this kaizen, which is the practice of continuous improvement.  

 His example was and still is a living testament to me: No matter how broken and how hopeless a man becomes through trials and sufferings here on earth, through God he can be restored to a life of wholeness and hope. – Blake Bars

Jim is an expert at making a mess out of life and then cleaning it up.  He has been almost as broken as one person can get and still be alive.  In a desperate search for hope and wholeness, Jim studied psychology, philosophy, Biblical phenomena and neural-science for nearly thirty years.  During this time he also facilitated Bible studies and personal growth groups. 

Jim has found the Way to joy, peace, love, future, health and true prosperity.  He writes with one purpose: to help enable his readers to also find the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jim has authored 3-3-3 You Are Free!!!, its companion the 3-3-3 Daily Life Planner, Whose Are You? and the Recovery Journal.  Jim is a member of the National Bible Association and Christian Writers Fellowship International.

not a sparrow falls by Linda Nichols

Right now, I am standing and applauding Bethany House for finding such a jewel as Linda Nichols.

I believe Linda's grandmother and my grandmother were best friends, for she has captured the sights, sounds and smells of my girlhood between the pages of this book regarding the grandmother character.

The reader is caught up into the sphere of spiritual warfare from the very first page, and then reads how it all plays out in the earthly realm. I know I have read the first few pages of this before and I'm thinking it was a contest that Dave Long held on conversion experience. It was so gripping then that I remember it to this day.

This story is very unique and, yet, it is the oldest story since time began because we all get caught in Satan's web of seduction, we all think there is no way out, we all bargain with God at one time or another, we all get angry at circumstances and must fight to forgive our loved one's choices, and we all find out sooner or later that only God can cure all ills, heal all wounds and change all hearts... if we just allow Him the elbow room to do it.

This story is very well-woven. The characters are first rate developed and we see personalities clash in a most believable way. What I love most about this story is that every character grows, blossoms, and finds sure footing on their life path.

The main character, Bridie Collins, is worn out from the bad choices she has made. One day, she's had enough of buying ingredients for cooking meth and being the maid for two slothful drug dealers, so she bides her time until they both crash from too much of a bad thing. She steals the drug money and makes her getaway, calling a hot tip line to make sure that Jonah is arrested and put safely away so he won't come after her. The drug money is stolen so her plans for getting far, far away go awry. She settles in Virginia. Bridie is not her real name, it is her mother's. Somehow, taking on the name of her mother settles her spirit and infuses her soul with a modicum of peace. She is still running away from her bad choices and not facing the music, but we realize that she has some spiritual growing to do before that can happen. It may be the middle of winter, when snow swirling around, but what a garden grows in the little family that is blessed with her.

There are a couple of things that distract somewhat, and keep this story from being 5+ stars. When the paths of Bridie and Jonah part, we follow Bridie and then we're jerked from that story into the jail cell of Jonah. It does not lend to the storyline at all knowing what Jonah is thinking. The tension is better built with the fear from Bridie rather than Jonah's intentions. Also, there isn't a thing added to the storyline by knowing what Jonah's attorney is thinking or that she finally winds up out of the public defender's office and in the prosecutor's office. Those were major distractions.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter how excellently a story is written if we are led down dead end paths which do not include the protagonist. In crafting a believable story, the writer should understand that the reader feels cheated and bewildered when we don't know where we're going, there isn't any light at the end of the tunnel, and we're in the company of a character we do not know.

But don't let that keep you from buying this book for your Keeper Shelf. It is an extremely good character study of a pastor who is man-called, not God-called and of a woman who is coming to terms, with God's help, with her bad choices and how God works in our lives for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Excellent read. Time well spent.

Linda Nichols, a graduate of the University of Washington, is a novelist with a unique gift for touching readers' hearts with her stories. She is also the author of the acclaimed novelsIf I Gained the World and At the Scent of Water. She and her family make their home in Tacoma, Washington. Visit Linda's Web site at www.lindanichols.org

Hunter's Moon by Don Hoesel

This novel is by the same author who wrote Elisha's Bones which I loved. So I settled into this one fully expecting something, if not like it, at least as well defined. It is not.


I had to let this one sit for a couple of days before I could write this review. This is a psychological thriller and frankly, it is not a light read. In some ways that is a good thing, in other's not so good because it gets deeply reflective so that you are not sure what the story is about or where it is going.


There are a lot of readers who like that kind of suspense in a novel. I prefer storyline suspense. Keeping the reader in suspense while all the characters know what's going on is not a tactic that I have a lot of patience with. Once I found out what CJ Baxter's brother was capable of, I could finally settle into the read because I knew where it was going. You may not have that problem at all. 


We get a clue when brother Graham sucker punches CJ during a little basketball one-on-one at Grandfather Sal's funeral. The little blurb that shares a CJ memory of a so-called hunting accident happens many pages later. This is when the story should take off like a rocket blast, but it doesn't. We must meander around reminiscing about the younger years of CJ, meet his mom and find out how rotten his dad was to her and her revenge. Which all ties together when we find out what really happened long ago and why CJ just can't seem to connect with Dad and Brother Graham. 


The climax is the best part of the story (isn't that the way it is supposed to be?) but it isn't just one eye-popping moment. We've got several in a row which keeps the pages turning and the midnight oil burning. It's a keeper.

Don Hoesel is a Web site designer for a Medicare carrier in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in Mass Communication from Taylor University and has published short fiction inRelief Journal. He lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children.Elisha's Bones is his first novel.

Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

I am not sure when I was so enchanted by a book, except last year there was one called According To Their Deeds, which I raved about. Well, this one is just as rave-worthy and is definitely a keeper! I give it five stars and I rarely do that, ever.

This story spoke to me on so many different levels. If you have never lived through a hurricane, then you won't identify as well with the first part of this book. Lisa Wingate captured the true essence of all hurricane die-hards. If we live "far enough" from the coast we never think it will be "that bad". Category 1 is "Just a little rain", Category 2 is "Just a little blow and some rain". We actually pick up our skirts when it come to Category 3-5. Wingate pegged it though.

There is only one draw back with this book. If an author wants to capture not just the flavor, but the blood of a people, then the author must live with them for a little while. Wingate didn't quite get the blood of the Creole or Cajun people that Kai and Donetta ride the bus with. I lived in Cajun Country for 26 years and it wasn't exactly on the nose, but I seriously doubt anyone who does not live in South Louisiana would notice.

Daily, Texas has some truly wonderful characters. They are believable and so earthy that they smell as fragrant as a spring rain. Donetta Bradford has a glorious sense of humor and Kai learns a lot from her. This story is better than warm sweet rolls and coffee. I think it is the best one yet!

There are just a very elite few authors who you can trust enough to buy a book just because their name is on the book. One day I'll write a post on this club. For now, rest assured, Wingate has graduated to the "Buy it because her name is on it" group. You won't ever be disappointed.

Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, includingTending Roses, A Month of Summer, and The Summer Kitchen. Lisa and her family live in central Texas. Visit www.lisawingate.com

Escaping the Cauldron by Kristine McGuire

The last half of this book is much better than the first because there are some extremely wonderful personal experiences and insights  which would help anyone who is mistakenly taking the same path Kristine McGuire took. 

I think this could have been a much more powerful read if McGuire had delved more into her thought processes when she made the decision to dabble in the occult, and then she fell head over heels into being a medium. It would have been  so very beneficial to others who may be tempted in doing the same thing… OR who are in the middle of the same thing. ALSO… walking readers through the reasons she felt compelled to turn her  back on God and embrace the “spirit guides” would help people to grasp the lesson driven home here,  and help them to identify their own thought processes. It was a deliberate decision on her part, but I know beyond any shadow of doubt that God never turned His back on her! I know there was a God-sized hole in her soul that she was trying desperately to fill. She was saved but not satisfied. Too many Christians today think that once saved, always satisfied, and that just isn't so. This book proves the point.

I see a tremendous potential for God to reach thousands of people and draw them back to His side away from the dark abyss… not that they will lose their salvation, but they certainly can be taken home early.

I also believe there is a huge potential to give hope to some Christians who have dabbled in Wicca and who have invited demons into their homes to oppress and to destroy, by McGuire's  assurances that while she may have gone down a dark path for a season, God never, ever let go of her. That is shining a light on Satan’s lies that people lose their salvation and can never hope for God to forgive them for turning their backs on Him.

While this is good, it could be gripping and life changing. While trying to balance on the fence between the impersonal and personal, she did not give the punch that it could have had.

There are also several grammatical mistakes and typos. They are not necessarily storyline stopping, but are a little distracting.

Please understand that I believe Christians need to read this book. I think that Christians today are filled with warm fuzzies and have this adroitness to either ignore there is a Devil or to completely disbelieve our battle is not with flesh and blood but against the dark principalities. I'm not sure when this will hit the book shelves, but be watching for it. It is already available for purchase at: Kristine McGuire's website It would be an excellent study group book.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

Deeanne Gist has done it again! Her collaboration with J. Mark Bertrand produced an excellent read. It is definitely worth the money.

In her first works, there were one or two stumbles with sentence structures, but this has proven that Gist is an excellent author and has lengthened her stride into a real professional.

We have a young girl, Rylee Monroe, who's the sole support for her Noni (grandmother), who is involved with a Robin Hood bandit only by association. The bandit seems to rob only her clients or past clients... She's a dog walker and cat feeder, so I guess it would be the clients' owners that are robbed.

Rylee meets the local newspaper reporter and together they try to unmask the cat burgler who only steals sentimental things and leaves more valuable items behind, then gives these items to non-profits with a note instructing them to sell the item and use the proceeds.

Along with the protag, Rylee and the co-protag, Logan the newspaper man, we have an Adonis who is a corporate lawyer and a womanizer, a creepy criminal who has supposedly gone straight, a gardener with a shady past, a newspaper boss who seems a bit unreasonable and cranky, and a bunch of rich people who allow Rylee to breeze in and out of their homes and the love of their pets. It all mixes very well. Add a dash of menace and a pinch of tension-filled darkness (Rylee must walk dogs at night, too), and this recipe bakes into a satisfying fare.

Deeanne Gist has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, and theHouston Chronicle and she has a degree from Texas A&M. Dee is the author of five previous bestselling novels including A Bride in the Bargain and lives in Houston, Texas. Visit Deeanne's Web site atwww.deeannegist.com

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. For more information, visit www.jmarkbertrand.com 

What Every Christian Should Know About The Jewish People

Matt 23:39 For I say to you, In no way shall you see Me from now on, until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Psa. 118:26


This is what Jesus said to the Jews after He had wept over Jerusalem crying out how He desired nothing less than to gather her children under His wings like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But the Sanhedrin was not willing for that to happen. How deeply Jesus desired them to be willing.

I watched a Day of Discovery program in 2009 which had a Messianic Jew featured. He explained that Jews are ingrained with so much of the Old Testament without the benefit of any knowledge of the New Testament. This is one reason why Jews cannot accept Jesus as the Son of God. He explained so much else as well. The Jews have a perception that the Messiah must be perfect and without sin, yet Jesus went to the cross and willingly accepted the sin of the world. This is a huge roadblock to their understanding.

Sheryl Young has written a book called What Every Christian Should Know About The Jewish People. It sounds so fascinating and is on my list of books to read. I am so excited about this book that I am posting this before I read it because I want you to read it, too.

Why is it imperative for every Christian to gain a fresh, love-filled perspective toward the Jewish people today? What makes a person consider him or herself Jewish? And the question usually on every Christian's mind: Do Jewish people really need to be “converted”? In Sheryl Young’s book, “What Every Christian Should Know About the Jewish People,” are answers to these questions and many more! Come discover the key to building bridges between the only two faiths who believe in the one true God.

Even if you don’t know any Jewish people, maybe you've wondered why it's so hard for them to accept the Gospel. Or you want to know how our two religions can work together in these times of renewed anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity. Who better to explain this than a Jewish person who has found Jesus as her Lord and Savior?

When Sheryl's husband gave his life to Jesus, she thought, "How can I, a girl from a Jewish family, be married to a Christian?" She set out to prove the Gospel wrong. But the moment she really studied the Old Testament and dared to compare it with the New, everything changed. She fell in love with “Yeshua,” saw her Jewish heritage with new appreciative eyes, and realized the two could fit perfectly together.

Sheryl has been a “Jewish believer in Jesus” since 1987. She wrote this book for Christians to answer the many questions Christians have asked her over the years about Judaism, the Jewish peoples’ culture, faith, and why Jewish people are hesitant to accept the Gospel message of Christ as their true Messiah.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin

I have just spent a delightful week with Jane and the editors of Bethany House. It is called the Insight Edition. It was with great anticipation that I opened the pages of this book for I had never read it before. I had only watched the movies which lent me great enjoyment. I knew, having read other Austin classics that the novel would be much better than the movies, and Jane (and her story) proved to be a most amiable companion.

What sets this edition apart from any other, except Pride and Prejudice, is the wealth of added information from a Regency historical aspect, tidbits of opinion which evidenced delightful humor, and movie trivia. I even learned there was a S&S under the sea movie which I had heretofore never heard.

Astoundingly, I was somewhat surprised at myself because I truly enjoyed someone else's pain and agony for a change of pace. For fully 30 chapters, Marianne was just as full of passion and sensibility at Willoughby's disgraceful treatment of her as any movie depicted. Elinor was just as full of suppressed passion and sense as the movies depicted her, and of course Mrs. Dashwood was so much more sensible than Mrs. Benton of P&P fame, which made for quite satisfying reading without the frustration of stupidity.

If you do not have a copy of Sense and Sensibility for your library, I suggest you pick up this copy. It is well worth the money and is quite a satisfying read. It is available for purchase here. Also at bookstores.

Jane Austen, daughter of a clergyman, is the beloved author of some of the most acclaimed fiction of all time. Though writing about provincial life in late-18th century England, she captured timeless themes that transcend centuries and languages. Almost as popular today as ever, Austen is undoubtedly the most influential female novelist ever.

A Hidden Flame by Davis Bunn & Janette Oke

This second in the Acts of Faith Series is truly a work of art. I love everything that T. Davis Bunn has written. He has a flow to his writing that draws the reader in and he paints the imagination with words and phrases which makes it so easy to read. Add his ability to that of Janette Oke's romantic largess and you have a wonderful read. This is well worth the money and it is a keeper.

Even though this is the second novel in the series, you do not feel like you've walked into the middle of a movie or that the story opens in the middle. Almost before you realize it the story of Ananias and Sapphira unfolds.  Peter, James, Stephen, and all the others have cameos and you find yourself smiling because the way they are depicted you think, "Ah, yes. That is how I pictured them."

I found the second one so much better than the first one was. This story runs smoothly like a well-tuned, high performance car. It is fresh and breezy as if you've let the top down and the sun is warmly caressing you as you speed down the storyline. You can purchase it here.

ABOUT the STORY...

In first-century Judea, the followers of the Way have burgeoned into a vibrant, growing community that cannot be ignored. Jerusalem is in turmoil as its religious leaders on one side, and their Roman rulers on the other, conspire to stamp out the fledgling Church. And Abigail, who thought she had finally found home and safety, is caught between the opposing forces.

Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail's hand in marriage. Ezra, a successful Hebrew merchant and widower with important connections among the Sanhedrin, is looking for a mother for his children. The Roman soldier Linux is fascinated by her winsome charm and possibly could offer the sanctuary--maybe even the love--for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Will her faith and courage survive a heartbreak beyond comprehension as the followers face a gathering storm of persecution they never could have foreseen?

Mission Possible

Brief Author Bio

Deborah began her journey of creative writing soon after coming to know Jesus as her personal savior in 1989.  She uses her spiritual gifts of encouragement and teaching in her home church.  She also enjoys in-depth bible study in her personal time, and is a small business owner of over twenty years.  Her love of the Holy scripture and bible study are evident in her poetry and literary works.  She and her husband attend Hibernia Baptist Church in Green Cove Springs, and reside in Fleming Island, Florida.  Her primary goal is to share her personal testimony with others while bringing hope and practical help through her books.

 Intro

           Mission Possible is a unique book in the Christian marketplace.  It addresses a subject that is often overlooked and misunderstood.  It is a candid look at my struggles and quest to reach my husband for Christ.  I became a believer seven years into our marriage.  It is written as I have lived it, and applies scripture and biblical context to each chapter.   The book has bible study application questions at the end of each section, as well as three self-reflection points to help the reader “digest” what they have read.  Mission Possible was nominated for Christian Small Publisher’s Assoc. Book of the Year Award for 2009.

Mini-Interview

Tell us a little about your background.

  I grew up in a Navy family and moved frequently as a child.  I married my first husband right out of high school.  That marriage ended in divorce four years later. I remarried in 1982 (to my current husband) and we’ll be married 28 years in January 2010.  Seven years into our marriage, I gave my life to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What inspired you to write this influential book?

 

  I was involved with a local intercessory prayer group at the time, and was prompted by God during prayer to write down what He was conveying to me about my husband and his salvation.  It was quite literally written while inspired, and without much effort on my part.  I just typed on the computer as He led me to bible verses and topics to talk about.  I remember writing down the names of the (7) chapters during prayer time on a tablet - just looking at them afterwards in awe.  It was quite

a moving experience. 

What primary advice do you have for women who are married to "non-believing" husbands?

  I think the most important advice is to have faith in Who God Is and His sovereignty.  We can't "pre-package" our spouse's conversion experience, and God will always do what will bring Him the "most glory".  We also have to remember that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood.  Our spouse (if unsaved) isn't governed by God's Spirit - so we have to release them from that accountability.  We must have faith that rests in God and not in our own understanding, or by sight!

What kinds of reactions has the book generated thus far?

  I have had great reaction to my little book.  Some women love it because it is not lengthy, and they can read it quickly - yet refer back to it over & over again.  One woman emailed me a testimony that she was nearly ready to leave her husband, but after reading the book, felt that God was leading her to give her marriage another try.  That was very humbling and gratifying for me.  I just want to help women see that there is an alternative to being miserable in an unequally yoked marriage.

What's the main message that you'd like readers to take away from it?

  I would love readers to discover that God has a plan for each marriage that is in spiritual disunity.  It involves us, but it is always done HIS WAY!  I want readers to know that it is a process that evolves over time, that we must not put Him (God) in a box, but give Him room to move in our spouse's life.  They need to know that because we are not perfect and continue to sin, that satan will harass us (women) and try to influence us to believe that our "mission" is not possible - but with God, all things are possible!

Any final thoughts you'd like to share?

  Just that I know how difficult it is to be married to a spouse who doesn't share your love and devotion to the Lord Jesus.  I, like many of my readers, get frustrated and disillusioned, but I know God has perfect timing and our best interests at heart overall.  He wants our spouses to come to a saving knowledge of Him and embrace a future together that brings glory to Him. 

How can our readers learn more about you and contact you directly?

 

  They can visit my website at www.Godmissionpossible.com or email me at deb@alabasterboxpublishing.com  They can also visit my Blog page at www.Godmissionpossible.blogspot.com.  My book is available on my website at www.Godmissionpossible.com or at www.Amazon.com , and several other online retailers.  I have my book available in (4) different forms:  as a trade paperback, audio book on CD, downloadable MP-3 format, and as an E-Book.