Belize Mission Trip 2016 | Day 2

3/6/2016

It's Sunday! We were settling into Belize life and it was time to go to church. We attended a church in Belmopan called Bethel Church. The service was...interesting. The lesson was on grief. It was very informative, but lacking in spiritual depth. After church, Pastor Tim gathered us together to explain why the service "set off alarm bells," as he put it. This church has suffered recently. They have asked their pastor to step down for personal reasons. They were getting ready to lose their bus that brought the majority of their members to church (they didn't own the bus, but couldn't afford to buy it and keep up the repairs).

After learning that information, and letting it soak in, I realized how blessed I am to have an amazing church and pastor. I also admired the speaker who took the time to study for a lesson on a subject that
many people in Belize know little about. His bravery was inspiring. Please keep Bethel Church in your prayers as they seek God's guidance for their future.

After church, we ate lunch at Hode's Place. I love the authenticity of the food. It's amazing! On our way back home, we stopped at the Mayan Ruins in San Ignacio called Xunantunich (a.k.a. The Stone Lady). I climbed all the way to the top. The view was absolutely breathtaking! The ruins were in excellent condition (not that I'm an expert on Mayan ruins, but they looked good to me). I decided that Mayans must have been tall. The steps were very tall and narrow. The climb to the top was exhilarating. We had to cross a river to get to the ruins... I called it a "row boat on a cable wire." 

It was a great day to celebrate and admire God's handiwork. However, I had been in Belize for a day and a half and I was anxious to begin working!

Belize Mission Trip 2016 | Day 1

Hi friends! Back in January, I posted a blog about what's been going on in my life (A New Year | A New Focus). In it, I talked about my Belize Mission trip. Well, I just got back from Belize Sunday! I kept a journal while I was there and I plan on taking you through my trip day by day. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy....

Today was a travel day. I had to be at the church at 3 AM ready to go, so I was up at 2:15. We traveled for most of the day. Our flight left at 7 am. Travelling all day was not particularly fun, but getting to Belize made it worth it. We got there in the pouring rain, loaded our bags onto the vans in the pouring rain, and drove out of the airport in the sunny blue sky. After having dinner at Cheers, we headed to the Baptist Training Center. The closer we got, the more I began to recognize. There were so many changes, good chances, since the last time I'd been there!

Pulling into the Baptist Training Center in Camelote was like coming home. Seeing all the kids that I met from the previous year and seeing Maria, Sophie, Jessica, and Mrs. Benedicta brought me such joy and made my weary spirit happy. The first thing Jose said to me when I stepped out of the van was "So, I heard you got married Shannah. You married Mrs. Delinda's son." I thought I was going to die I was laughing so hard. 

Since this is only my second trip, I didn't expect to be so welcomed again. They might not remember me! Boy, was I surprised. Those kids are so smart! We also had the most people we've ever had in the 6 or so years New Sterling has been going to Belize. There were 26 people total: 20 from New Sterling and 6 from Boyce Memorial. The people from Boyce Memorial were real excited to be there and super nice.

Overall, day 1 was exciting and tiring. I couldn't wait to dive in and see what the Lord was going to do with our group!

The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen never disappoints me. The stories she weaves pick me up and pluck me right into the time period. The Painter's Daughter is no exception. Since the main character is a painter herself, I expected the descriptive language and scenes to be written as though through a painter's eye. I could vividly imagine seeing what Sophie was seeing. I wanted to climb the hill to Castle Rock and look at the north Devon coast, as she did. I could imaging walking through the halls at Overtree. As always, Julie Klassen's descriptions of the time period and dress were accurate and immaculate.

The cast of characters in this book made the story far more interesting. Winnie, Colonel, Kate, and the Overtrees made for an intriguing diversion from the seriousness of the situations Sohpie and Stephen encountered. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Sophie Dupont. Her character seemed weak and a tad too gullible for my taste. Then, as I learned more about Wesley's character and her interaction with him, I could understand better how she found herself in such a precarious predicament. I envied her strength when she arrived at Overtree Hall, and her determination to do what was right, in the face of such strong temptation. As for Stephen Overtree, there were glimpses of "Captain Black" as Wesley was wont to call him, but I found him rather endearing. His strength of character and strong will showed me a great deal about him. I loved that they faced so many challenges at the beginning of the book. As Winnie states, they had already overcome so much to be together, their future looked bright.

One area I feel Julie Klassen excels in is weaving a strong message into the story. Asking God to help you is the first step in overcoming temptation and sin. That doesn't mean you won't face trials and even more temptation, it means that you have a never ending supply of help and comfort in your trials. As Wesley, Stephen, Captain Keith, and even Sophie learn, "all men struggle with some temptation or another, but God will help you." 

Overall, Julie Klassen weaves a tail of overcoming temptation and trials with God's help. I give this book 4 stars.

Read an excerpt.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.*

About The Painter's Daughter: Sophia Dupont assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight. In private, she paints the picturesque north Devon Coast, popular with artists—including handsome Wesley Overtree, who seems more interested in her than the landscape.

Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother Wesley's responsibilities. Near the end of his leave, he is sent to find his brother and bring him home. Upon reaching Devonshire, however, Stephen is stunned to learn Wesley has sailed for Italy and left his host's daughter in serious trouble.

Stephen feels duty-bound to act, and strangely protective of the young lady, who seems somehow familiar. Wanting to make some recompense for his own past failings as well as his brother's, Stephen proposes to Miss Dupont. He does not offer love, but marriage "in name only" to save her from scandal. If he dies in battle as he fears, she will at least be a respectable widow.

Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie finds herself torn between her first love and this brooding man she barely knows. Dare she wait for Wesley to return? Or should she elope with the captain and pray she doesn't come to regret it?

Buy your copy: B&N | Amazon | CBD

 ISBN-13: 9780764210723 | Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

Publication date: 12/01/2015

About the Author: I worked in publishing for sixteen years (first in advertising, then as a fiction editor) and now write full time. The Secret of Pembrooke Park won the Minnesota Book Award. Three of my books, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and The Girl in the Gatehouse also won a Midwest Book Award and The Silent Governess was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards.

I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

http://www.julieklassen.com/index.html 

Cover Reveal | Sophia Redeemed by B. Benfield

Bouncing around the foster care system, Sophia has a horrible life until at the age of eighteen; she flees her abusive “father.” Trying to survive on the streets, she is taken in by a pimp, Jax. While she makes enough money to rent a rundown apartment, Jax’s percentage leaves her struggling to pay her own way.

While treating herself to a cup of coffee, she meets Matt. The persistent young man asks her out, not realizing her circumstances. When Sophia reveals her past and shares with him her current life, Matt is undeterred.

A violent, life-changing encounter with Jax brings Matt to her rescue. He takes her to his parents’ guesthouse, where she is welcomed and given a job in his father’s church. The only stipulation is she must attend church with the family.

Blossoming in her new life, Sophia and Matt begin to explore their relationship.

However, someone is not pleased with the changes in her life. Threatening calls and messages are only the beginning of the danger to Sophia. Corruption, lies, and betrayal threaten the couple and when the truth is revealed, many lives are left in turmoil. Can faith and love overcome the devastation in Sophia’s life and lead to her redemption and the life she deserves?

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

B. Benfield is a Contemporary Christian Romance author. She got her start writing New Adult Romance. She went on to self-publish four novels before ultimately deciding to take those books off the shelves, follow her heart, and pursue Christian Romance.

She’s a banker by day and a writer by night, spending all time in between hanging out with her husband, son, friends, and family! She loves to hear from her readers, so don’t hesitate to shoot her a message!

SOCIAL PAGES:

WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER  * GOODREADS

Hosted By:

Top Ten Tuesday | FREEBIE!

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

I'm choosing the same topic that the ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish chose: Top Ten Books I'd Like to Reread. I have to agree with them: "One of the perils of book blogging is that, thanks to constantly feeling obligated to keep up the flow of new reviews, it's almost impossible to squeeze in a reread when you have so many unread books on your shelf." This also lead to my blogging downfall. My goal this year is to get to all of the unread books on my shelf, and revisit some of my favorites! Here are the top ten I'd love to read again: 

1. Since I've already started re-reading this series, I'll place it in the honorary #1 spot: Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I'm currently on #5. If you've never read the Stephanie Plum series, you should. They are hilarious. *Warning: there is adult language and some adult content. This is not a good book for you if you like clean fiction.*

2. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian. I think this will be one of my "go-to" books for advice on being a Godly wife. I highlighted and made notes the first time through, and I'll only build my understanding the more I read.

3. Any of Mary Connealy's books are some of my favorite rereads. They never fail to entertain and make me laugh!

4. Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter. I adored this book and I adore Denise Hunter. This is an obvious choice for a reread!

5. Dani Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series. I eagerly awaited each and every book as they came out, and I've read them several times through. I would love to read them again, and again, and again.....(you get the point).

6. The Lonestar series by Colleen Coble. These books launched my love of contemporary Christian fiction. I love visiting them again from time to time.

There are a lot of other books I want to re-read, because I need to purge my shelf. I need to decide if they are "keep-worthy" or not! So, this is just a glimpse of what I like to reread.

What about you? Do you like to reread books?

Fire & Ice by Mary Connealy

Overview: Saddle Up for a Wildly Fun Ride in Mary Connealy's Latest

Bailey Wilde is one of the best new ranchers in the West. She's been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he's dealing with a woman--a very tough, very intriguing woman at that.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it.

Spending a winter alone has a way of making a person crave some human contact. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan Gage concocts. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in
the process?

ISBN-13: 9780764211805 | Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

Publication date: 10/06/2015 | Series: Wild at Heart, #3

Buy It: B&N | Amazon | CBD

My Review: I love Mary Connealy. Her books never fail to inspire me, make me laugh, and keep me on the edge of my seat. Fire & Ice is no exception. It's always interesting to me to go back in time to homesteading and the hardships and challenges of it. Mary Connealy always does an excellent job of describing life on the range. You can tell she does an extreme amount of research for her stories. She also does an excellent job of keeping the story engaging and exciting.  From the very beginning, I was caught up in the story of Bailey and Gage.

Bailey is a tough woman who has endured unspeakable horrors of war and came out on top. In a way, I can relate to her fears and sorrows based on her experiences. Gage is your typical Western male, with the exception of his past. I loved that Mary Connealy gave each of these characters such a unique past. Their troubles and heartaches were different from anything I've read before, and I appreciated the story so much more for it. I always love how the author weaves the love story into her plots. She excels at making you aware of the main characters attraction, without detracting from the plot. It developed, almost, without the reader noticing. 

The message of the story centers on trust. I know, after you read the story you might think I'm crazy, but I have a reason for my choice. Bailey lived through unspeakable horrors. Understandably, her fears drive her to a life of isolation. When she decides to give up that isolation by agreeing to Gage's crazy proposal, she is terrified. Her fears drive her to the point where she doesn't trust anyone, including herself. Gage is just the person to help Bailey, in my opinion. His past allows him to reach out to her in a way no one else could. That's God. Near the end of the story, after Bailey opens up to Gage, he makes a bold statement that really struck me: "..What good does it do to torture yourself by wondering what you should have done? It's over. All that's left now is forgiveness. Have you asked God to forgive you?"

"Yes, a thousand times. But the weight is as bad as it ever was.."

"That's not God refusing to forgive you, honey...it's you refusing to forgive yourself. God's done His part; now you have to do yours."

How many times do we withhold forgiveness from ourselves, even after we ask God to forgive us? Doesn't that drive our trust and fears? What a powerful message!

Overall, if you're looking for a "wild ride" of a story, this is the one for you.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through the Bethany House blogging program in exchange for my honest review.*

About the Author: Mary Connealy is the bestselling author of romantic comedy with cowboys. She is a Carol Award winner and a Rita and Christy and IRCC Award Finalist.

Find Mary online at: Seekerville | Petticoats & Pistols | My Blog | My Website

A New Year | A New Focus | A New Me

Hello blogging friends. It's been a while..and it's time for some confessions. I stopped reading for about 2 months. I just lost my joy in it and I couldn't figure out why. I loved to read. I loved to learn more about an author, a character, a family, and the Lord through the lessons my favorite authors taught their characters. So what happened?

I. GOT. OVERWHELMED. There are SO many books I wanted to read. Every time I got an email from a publisher or author, I felt like I needed to sign up immediately to read that book. It got to the point that I was reading all review books, and none of the books on my bookshelf that I had bought myself, and I just got burnt out. My natural response to being overwhelmed is to shut down. [It's a horrible response, I know. I'm working on it...] I also got a promotion at work. That really cut out a lot of my reading time. I got overwhelmed because I couldn't find enough time in the day to read all the books I had signed on to read.

My reading resolution is simple: I want to get back into reading for simply the love of reading. That doesn't mean I won't request review books anymore. That just means that I will simply not request or accept every opportunity that comes my way to review books. I'll read what I want to read, without the pressure. Of course, I'll still post reviews, even if the book didn't come my way from a publisher or author. It also means I will take my time reading a book. I am not going to speed read anymore. I want to enjoy what I'm reading and I want you to know it!

I also want to try to incorporate more of the things I love into my blog. I mean, the name of my blog is called "Faith * Love * Books" and all I normally end up posting is "books." I feel like there is so much more to my life than that. I recently found a love for card making and Bible Journaling. I am going on a mission trip in March to Belize that I'm really looking forward to and we need prayers and financial support. I would love to share those loves with you! I haven't figured out quite yet what that's going to look like, so stay tuned!

I'm also asking for prayers.  My "theme verse" for the year is about letting go of that anxiety and letting God handle them. It's hard. It's a daily battle. Blogging and reading brought me a lot of comfort last year and I would love to get back to that. Interacting with my blogging and reading friends helped me a lot. Spending time in God's word and writing down my prayers helped a lot too. But when I say I shut down from being overwhelmed, I literally shut down. I didn't do any of the things I loved anymore. I'm ashamed to admit it to you all, and more ashamed that I let it happen to myself. I'm working on getting my joy back. Will you help me?

Thank you for waiting patiently for me, my friends. God Bless! (Oh, and I'm reading a book for the first time in months and I'm so excited about it!)