Here Comes the Gnome

My youth ministry’s “Everything a Message” series begins next week. You can read a little about the idea here. We had all the students bring in items this past Tuesday for the first vote. There was a lot a crazy items (some of which I’m sure will be brought back next), but the winner was this gnome to the right.

So basically, by next Tuesday I have to prayerfully come up with a message from the Word of God that is in some way based on this gnome.

I’ve already spent some time studying, praying, and thinking, and I do believe I already know what route I’m going to take. Need to spend some time fleshing the whole idea out, but I think it will work nicely.

I would love to have anyone that reads this to post some of their ideas on a basic message idea or thought that can be brought out of a garden gnome.

On Facebook? The original post resides at www.focusedjourney.com.

Book Review - Deadlock

Here’s a review of the book Deadlock by Kelly.

Publisher’s Info
The Zarbo brothers are seasoned outlaws with a reputation for killing. Already wanted in two states, they set their sights on Colorado and a string of bank robberies. They don’t count on running into Chief U.S. Marshal John Brockman.

John arrests Lee Zarbo, but his brothers remain in hiding. Lee’s sentence to death by hanging incites them to desperate measures. They’ll do anything to get him out alive. Even kidnap the Chief U.S. Marshal’s daughter.

When John learns of his young daughter’s captivity and the conditions for her release, he must turn to the Lord for direction. It takes all the faith he can muster to wait for the answer. Without freeing a dangerous criminal, can John find Ginny before they kill her?

Author Bio
Al Lacy is an evangelist and author of more than one hundred historical and Western novels, including the Journeys of the Stranger, Angel of Mercy, and Mail Order Bride series, with more than three million books in print. JoAnna Lacy, Al’s wife and longtime collaborator, is a retired nurse. The Lacys have been married over forty years and live in the Colorado Rockies.

Kelly’s Review
I have read some of Al & Joanna Lacy's other books that deal with the characters that were in Deadlock. It was nice to read a sequel and find out what happened with the characters. While the story was good and it was fun to read, I don't think it is very realistic. I like reading books with a Christian theme, but I find the Lacy's books to be a bit over the top. It seemed like every second paragraph someone was getting saved or quoting scripture to someone. The dialog was, in my opinion, cheesy. Maybe it is just me but I don't think people really talk like that all the time. I enjoy reading books set in the past and that is what I enjoyed about this book.

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can find it Amazon.

The Way I Like It

We had something happen Sunday night that I love to see happen, although it seems rare in this day and age. We had someone in our service baptized in the Holy Spirit. If you are reading this and don’t know what that is, take a look at Acts chapter 2 in the Bible for a starting point. In case it’s not clear, I’m a believer that God doesn’t change and what the early church needed we still need today.

With that said, what made this so incredible is that it just happened. Ministers that bring people up to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and then try to knock the person over or coax them with what to say leave a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t believe we teach or force people. We seek God and allow him to do it. It’s his gift to give.

On Sunday night, God moved into our service in a powerful way. I’m sorry to those that don’t believe, but you could sense that he was there. The entire service ended up being a time of worship and prayer. Good stuff. Then, after it was over and people left, I found out that one of our people had been filled. They had been worshipping God and suddenly realized that they were praying and praising in other languages. As they were just spending time worshipping God the filling came.

I love it that way. When God does what he desires as people seek him.

May there be many more in the days ahead and then, may we each live every day full of the Holy Spirit.

Project BC

I have some friends that are currently going through a very hard time right now. Things are happening beyond their control and they are being hurt in the process. It’s a situation where I am completely powerless to assist them. If there was something that I could do I would do it, yet there is nothing. So I am left with my only option. I will go before the Father on their behalf. As best as I can I will seek the Lord and will remind Him of what is happening. We are told to ask and keep on asking and that’s what I’ll do. Project BC is a reminder to me to pray, and if my friends see it, a reminder to them that they will not be forgotten or abandoned.

Book Review - The Hope of Refuge

Another review by Kelly.

Publisher’s Summary.
Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

Author Bio
Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

Kelly’s Thoughts
This was a great book. I really enjoy reading books about the Amish. I think that the author does a great job of telling how life is with the Amish. She makes it easy to fall in love with the characters and their seemingly more simple lifestyle. I enjoyed how reading how the two cultures mixed and resolved conflict within the story. It ends with room to continue the story and I would love to see if there is a sequel someday. I felt like the characters were so real and would like to know what happens in their lives. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this type of fiction. I know I will be watching for other books by Cindy Woodsmall in the future.

Check it out on Amazon.com.