Jesus Calling is a devotional filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year.  After many years of writing in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her.  It was awkward at first, but gradually her journaling changed from monologue to dialogue.  She knew her writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but journaling helped her grow closer to God.  Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages.  They are written from Jesus’ point of view, thus the title Jesus Calling.  It is Sarah’s fervent prayer that our Savior may bless readers with His presence and His peace in ever deeper measure.

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My Thoughts

Jesus Calling Devotional was introduced to me at a women’s fellowship. It’s a book that can be read each day from January to December. The most appealing element of this book is how the author, Sarah Young displays the heart of Jesus Christ.  There are scripture references for each devotion.  If you enjoy sitting by a fire with a hot cup of coffee and relishing the Word of God, then this book is for you.

An Excerpt:

November 2

Grow strong in the Light of My Presence. Your weakness does not repel Me. On the contrary, it attracts My Power, which is always available to flow into a yielded heart. Do not condemn yourself for your constant need of help. Instead, come to Me with your gaping neediness; let the Light of My Love fill you.

A yielded heart does not whine or rebel when the going gets rough. It musters the courage to thank Me even during hard times. Yielding yourself to My will is ultimately an act of trust. In quietness and trust is your strength.

Psalm 116:5-7 ~ Ephesians 5:20 ~ Isaiah 30:15

Jesus Calling is available in a desk calendar as well.

S. W. Titus, Reviewer

This homecoming wasn’t what she expected . . .

Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.

When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion’s only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie’s bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion’s walls that could change her life—and the entire town—forever.

My Thoughts:

Refuge on Crescent Hill is an enjoyable read. The author, Melanie Dobson does a marvelous job on displaying the allegories throughout the book.  When Camden has nowhere to go after losing her job, she returns to the only safe haven she knows, Crescent Hill.  As the story unfolds, the house was once used to protect slaves on their way to “finding a new home”–freedom.  Camden, the main character, discovers that her grandmother and the local sheriff used the old house to provide a shelter for abused women and their children until better accommodations could be arranged.  The characters were engaging. The plot was arranged beautifully. This is one book that all should read and cherish.

The spiritual aspect of Refuge on Crescent Hill could be taken from  Psalm 46:1 where it states, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

About the Author:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author
of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and
Together for Good. A former corporate publicity manager at Focus
on the Family, Melanie has worked in the fields of journalism and
publicity for more than eighteen years. She and her family live in Oregon.

Reviewed by S. W. Titus

Renee Swope understands. Even with a great family, a successful career, and a thriving ministry, she still struggled with self-doubt. Sharing her own personal story, Renee shows you how to rely on the power of God’s promises to find the security you need and the confidence you long for!

Review:

A Confident Heart ~ How to Stop Doubting Yourself & Live in the Security of God’s Promises is a book that will help you exchange fear-filled thinking with faith-filled believing. Renee Swope shows how to use the Word of God to combat negative thinking. She has included Living in the Security of God’s Promises that is designed to help overcome negative thinking with positive confessions of God’s Word.

If you ever said, “I feel overwhelmed,” God says, “I will give you peace.” The powerful promises to this negative self-talk is John 16:33 AMP ~ “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.”

A Confident Heart is a must-read book if you or someone you know struggles with low self-esteem.  Through reading the Word of God, A Confident Heart and much prayer, the Lord will reveal how much you are worthy to Him.

Isaiah 43:4 says, “You are precious and honored in my sight, and…I love you.

“Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

Author:

Renee Swope is a popular national conference speaker, P31 radio show co-host, and executive director with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.

S. W. Titus, Reviewer

The Muir House

The author, Mary DeMuth has done it once again. The Muir House is about a young woman trying to find her way “home.” Willa Muir with no memory of what happened to her at the age of four and searching her heart for love goes on a quest to find answers.

With guilt, hurt and unforgiveness, Willa succumbs to the realization she has to face her mother dying with Alzheimer’s disease in a nursing home. The housekeeper of the Muir Bed & Breakfast, Genie, steers Willa towards the deniable truth about her childhood.

The plot is interesting, engaging, and believable and will keep your attention. The characters are believable, appealing and will capture your heart. The Muir House is full of intrigue, and suspense.

The book will keep you turning pages until you come to know the truth of Willa’s childhood secrets.

Sandra T.

The Baker’s Wife is one of those books that will attract and pull you into the very forces of evil versus good. This book touched my deepest desires to become more Christ like. In my opinion, the compassion displayed throughout the book every Christian should strive to attain.

Audrey, The Baker’s Wife, has a rare ability to “feel with deep compassion” to the degree of physical pain. She is a woman God uses to bring comfort and healing to hurting and dying individuals. She also faces enormous and insidious evil forces to try and shake her resolve. For in the midst of those forces she boldly proclaims, “For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted.”

In conclusion, we need to ask ourselves the question Diane (another character) asked Audrey, “What I mean is, do you think someone can truly walk a mile in another person’s shoes, or put herself in someone else’s place?”

Read on!

Sandra T.

The Mocha Club

Mocha Club is about connecting your community with our community in Africa. You start by giving up $7 a month, the cost of 2 mochas. And you get to pick where that money is going. We have many different ongoing projects around Africa – pick the one that YOU love…

• Child Mothers + Women At Risk
• Clean Water
• Education
• HIV/AIDS + Health Care
• Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children

The Mocha Club Vision

Mocha Club is an online community of people giving up the cost of 2 mochas a month – or $7 – to fund relief and development projects in Africa. We work in five main project areas: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Healthcare.

Our vision is to provide a way for people who don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa. Our community-based website allows members to start a team and invite friends to join them in giving up the cost of 2 mochas a month to support their chosen project. We know that today’s tech-savvy generation can have a huge impact by using the viral nature of the web. So we decided to equip Mocha Club members themselves to grow awareness and support for Africa by inviting friends.

We’re aware of people’s general lack of trust that their money is being effective, and we address that by providing regular updates. Each month, we update our Mocha Club members on how their $7 is helping the people of Africa through videos and blogs of the specific projects they are supporting.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes |  Difficulty: Easy |  Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 4 cups strongly brewed good coffee
• 6 ounces, liquid Dulce De Leche (*see note)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons chocolate, grated

Preparation Instructions

Buy a pound of coffee, feed an orphan for a month!

Get a full pound of our signature blend, St George the Dragonslayer, and know that while you’re drinking the best coffee you’ve ever tasted you’ve fed an Orphan for a month.

Latte Recipe Without an Espresso Machine!

By Angela Harris

Love lattes? Want to know how to make your own latte drink? Check out this homemade latte recipe that can be customized with your choice of favorite flavors. Don’t spend your entire paycheck on expensive lattes when you can easily make your own. You may knock your cravings for Starbucks lattes with this easy latte recipe.

Lattes are so nice to get a person started in the morning. An easy latte recipe that is easily customizable is nice to have during the holidays as well. And what is more welcoming on a raindy day or a cold winter night than a warm mug of hot flavored latte?

The best part about this latte recipe may be that it requires no espresso machine! This easy latte recipe makes enough for one person:

Latte Ingredients for One Serving

• 3/4 c. 2% milk (You can use whole milk also)
• 1/8 t. vanilla (optional, but makes it way yummier- Use real vanilla if possible!)
• 2 t. raw sugar (regular white sugar also works or honey)
• 2 oz. (jigger cup) of extra strong brewed hot coffee
• Optional whipped cream (homemade is best, but whipped topping will do)

How to Make a Latte Recipe Just Like Starbucks!

Warm the milk on the stove or in a microwave until it is hot. Be careful not to scald it. Put everything  except the coffee into a blender. Blend until it gets nice and frothy, like a latte.

Immediately pour the contents of the blender into a large coffee mug. Add the hot coffee.

Top your homemade latte with whipped cream if you like. You can also sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, ginger, or a combination of preferred spices on top for a festive appearance and added flavor. Get creative- try apple pie spice or pumpkin spice, for example.

Latte Recipe Variations – Make It Your Own!

Also, you can sprinkle the sugar on top instead of putting in the blender. This creates a nice appearance if using raw sugar especially.

Another variation to this latte recipe is adding the whipped cream (or whipped topping) to the blender with the rest of the ingredients instead of adding it to the top after it is poured into the mug.

Adding a piece of dark chocolate and letting it melt before drinking also makes a divine latte drink.

Try adding other extracts other than vanilla, for example, almond or peppermint.

I think about books and marketing all the time. I mean all the time. I don’t even listen to the radio in the car because I don’t want the background noise to disrupt my thoughts. I also think about how I can teach my clients that the Old Rules of Marketing don’t apply anymore. I get a lot of resistance but I have to keep pushing because I know once they get the hang of it and let go of the fear magic happens.

The old rules were pretty cut and dry. Advertising and branding. Reaching as many as possible with the tools you had to work with. If you are a major brand then you can advertise on radio, tv, cable etc… but if you are an author with a limited budget you need to be more creative. So you contact bookstores and schedule book signings. Then you put an ad in the paper letting people know that you will be at the bookstore. I know when I say bookstore many are wondering what I’m talking about. It saddens me to say that bookstores are dying at a rapid rate. I am a huge bookstore lover so it really is upsetting. I have a special place in my heart for the Independent Bookstore. Where you can walk in and people ask you what you like to read and give you ideas of great books that you might never know about if it were not for the bookseller in that store. Okay I got a bit off track but maybe not. The reason you may not have ever heard about that book is because of the limited budget for marketing. Don’t get me wrong, you still need a budget for marketing your book but you get more bang for your your buck now. I know it’s overwhelming and scary and all of those things.

Find a publicist that understands you and will work with you. Let them do the leg work so you can keep writing. I have found when authors try to do the marketing themselves they become discouraged and stop marketing. When your publicist gives you those to do lists that only you can do. Do it. Make the time. This is a business. You will get out of it what you put into it.

We are very lucky! The Web has changed the rules and we have to change our marketing. Many people are very uncomfortable with the Internet. GET COMFORTABLE! You know the old saying, ” If you can’t beat em’, join em”.

You have the chance to reach the world. What’s stopping you?

Denise

Book Marketing and Publishing doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive.
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